World Food in New Zealand

“The U.N. recently announced that the number of people suffering from the problems of “overnutrition” has for the first time exceeded the number suffering from undernutrition” (Pollan 2008:xiv)
As the book sits here accruing library fines (Naughty blogger!) I am finally getting round to reading and reviewing In Defence of Food by Michael Pollan. Well, I loved it. It says all the things I have always believed about the food industry and how it affects what … Read entire article »

While I’m not going to pretend that I have any sort of deep understanding of the Paleo Diet, I am interested in how people are trying to regain healthy lives by looking to what is or has been natural for our bodies. I am always searching for naturally sweetened desserts and snacks for my son so he feels like he is getting a treat and I feel happy he will not be doped up on … Read entire article »

Dashi is the stock most used in Japanese cooking. The ingredients are simple, seaweed and shavings from a block of the dried fish known as bonito, and the method could not be simpler. Much of Japanese food is approachable like this and it’s a shame that so many people think that you need some sort of superskills in order to prepare Japanese food. Oh yes, there are Japanese masters! But there are also students who … Read entire article »

We’ve just had Halloween which used to be one of my favourite holidays as a child in the United States. Although the roots of the event lie in Ireland, North Americans have taken to idea and run with it. From the beginning of October lots of spooky and fun things start appearing in shops, on TV, in the press and pretty much everywhere. Since Halloween coincides with autumn harvests, there are lots of lovely veggies … Read entire article »

So, as I haven’t posted in a while, you may think I have abandoned all that is food including Five Flavours, but au contraire! I have been in Bangkok eating this:
and this:
and buying this:
Why?! Because while I was in Bangkok, one of my favourite cities, I also became a Mum (Ta daaaa!) to a lovely wee lad through adoption. It’s been a long haul, but we are so happy to be home and be a … Read entire article »

I have not been to Cuba, but I have lived in South Florida, which has a sizeable Cuban community, where you can get the most delicious black beans and rice ever. Well, OK, maybe not ever since I’ve already mentioned that I haven’t actually been to Cuba. Tucking into a steaming bowl of black beans and feeling the crunch of fresh onions on top is something I could do just about any day of the … Read entire article »

What I loved when we lived in Japan was that on the days I didn’t feel like making my lunch, I could stop by the local コンビニ, “conbini”, or convenience store, on the way to work for much nicer food than we’d find in our own equivalent shops. I’d park my bike out front in the bike park and then walk in to hear a loud “いらっしゃいませ!” or “Irasshaimase!” (Welcome, we are happy to serve … Read entire article »

The first time I saw a feijoa I thought it must be some kind of guava because it looked like a small farang (ฝรั่ง), a Thai guava. Incidentally, farang is also what Thais call foreigners. What do us non-Thais and a tropical fruit have in common? Well, not much except that the fruit version was reportedly brought to Thailand by the Portuguese and so was therefore labelled as farang, meaning foreign thing. There is more … Read entire article »

I am starting a new category on Five Flavours called “Inspired by” because so much of what I eat is inspired by the amazing ingredients I’ve learnt about from all over the world, but doesn’t exactly fit under any authenticity labels.
This salad is inspired by Korean kim-chee, a wonderful probiotic, and Indian bean salads. This is the kind of salad I discover by accident when I am searching the kitchen for something I can make … Read entire article »